Clean Week 3! Woohoo!

We're on the home stretch, people! Please see the previous posts regarding weeks 1 and 2. Of course, we're still doing the same supplements and choosing all organic meats and fruits/vegetables.

Day 15 - August 23rd

Workout - 45 minute walk

Breakfast - shake with protein/fiber powders, white peach, chia seeds, cashew butter, almond milk, ice

Lunch - quinoa pasta with chicken and summer vegetables (thanks again to Stacey!); green tea

Snack - sliced Persian cucumber with sea salt and raw Dr. Hummus hummus, both from the farmers' market!

Dinner - shake with protein/fiber powders, frozen raspberries, almond milk, sunflower seed butter, chia seeds, ice; herbal tea

Today was rough. I was cranky and ticked off for no apparent reason. I had a dietetic association board meeting in the evening, so I brought my "dinner" and enjoyed it there while everyone ate Wildflower sandwiches. That didn't really bother me, honestly. I was just in a bad mood, but being around friends and having a lively discussion perked me up a lot. I went to bed feeling a little better.

Someone on the Clean Program community responded to a post I had written about heartburn, recommending that I stop one of the supplements (Clear 1, an anti-parasitic). My last pill was at lunch, so I didn't do it at dinner and already started to feel the "silent reflux" go away. I had it before the Clean Program, but I thought it would get better, not slightly worse, doing this! I'm glad I found the culprit for me. My sister, on the other hand, has been fine with it!

Day 16 - August 24th

Workout - 1 hour walk

Breakfast - shake with protein/fiber powders, nectarine, cinnamon, chia seeds, sunflower seed butter, almond milk, ice

Snack - 1 Persian cucumber with sea salt

Lunch - Picazzo's Organic Italian Kitchen for my boss' birthday! Quinoa pasta with chicken, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, olive oil, and lemon, gluten-free bread; green tea

Check out their fresh herbs sitting right out front:

Snack - 1 Persian cucumber with raw hummus

Massage - one of the creepiest massages of my life, but at least it was deep tissue (though not very relaxing!)

Dinner - shake with protein/fiber powders, frozen raspberries, sunflower seed butter, almond butter, ice; herbal tea

Today was pretty good! I was feeling much better than yesterday, and I enjoyed being able to have a yummy lunch out. My shakes seem to be getting smaller and smaller in volume, but I'm equally as satisfied.

Day 17 - August 25th

Pre-workout snack - brown rice cake with raw almond butter

Workout - 1 hour walk; P90X Cardio

Breakfast - shake with protein/fiber powders, spinach, avocado (yes, avocado), frozen raspberries, almond milk, ice

Snack - Persian cucumber with raw hummus

Lunch - buffalo buger atop black lentils with Swiss chard, microgreens with olive oil vinaigrette; green tea

Snack - Persian cucumber with avocado slices, sea salt, and kelp sprinkles

Dinner - shake with protein/fiber powders, spinach, tahini, frozen raspberries, almond milk, ice; green tea

I felt pretty good today as well, and I did happen to hop on the scale to see that I have lost almost 10 pounds so far. Interestingly, I think this is mostly water weight, as my clothes aren't falling off of me. I almost feel as if inflammation carries a lot of water or "allergy weight" with it, so I'm not very concerned about the relatively big weight loss. I'm just happy I feel better and my allergies are greatly improved!

Day 18 - August 26th

Workout #1 - 55 minute walk

Breakfast - shake with protein/fiber powders, frozen blueberries, avocado, ice, almond butter; Teeccino with stevia

Lunch - quinoa pasta with summer vegetables and chicken, micro greens with olive oil and vinegar; iced green tea

Snack - brown rice cake with pecan butter

Workout #2 - Karve

Dinner - shake with protein/fiber powders, almond butter, almond milk, frozen raspberries, ice

I was definitely starting to feel the "detox high" today. My aches and pains have definitely diminished, and I am sleeping really well. My skin is glowing, my eyes are bright, and I feel healthy and rested. I love that I don't have strong cravings or get really hungry. Food isn't a big deal. I really like it, and I enjoy everything I'm eating, but I'm not really thinking about it at all. It's very liberating. I'm still really loving fruits and veggies too!

Day 19 - August 27th

Workout - 1 hour walk

Breakfast - shake with protein/fiber powders, nectarine, almond butter, ice, tahini; Teeccino with stevia

Snack - pineapple and melon from Edible Arrangements (a birthday gift to my boss)

Lunch - Compound Grill! Organic chicken and local produce! Garden plate (roasted veggies and fresh hummus on top of mixed greens) with salmon; green tea

Snack - more Edible Arrangements fruit

Dinner - shake with protein/fiber powders, chia seeds, cashew butter, almond milk, frozen raspberries

It was a bit challenging going out to lunch, but I absolutely loved what I ordered! Strangely, everything tasted spicy to me at lunch. My coworkers tasted the same carrots I was eating and didn't notice any spiciness, but maybe my taste buds are going a little nuts. I felt so great not eating normal restaurant food and easily passed on the cheese fondue, tortilla chips, and birthday dessert. It just didn't appeal to me!

Day 20 - August 28th

Workout #1 - Walk (55 minutes)

Breakfast - shake with protein/fiber powders, nectarine, sunflower seed butter, cinnamon, almond milk, ice; Teeccino

Workout #2 - Karve (and Karve seminar on organics!)

Lunch - shake with protein/fiber powders, frozen blueberries, spinach, almond butter, almond milk, ice; iced tea

Snack - raw carrots, broccoli, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries at a bridal shower (passed up the beautiful appetizers and desserts); brown rice cake with sunflower seed butter at 6:30 p.m.

Dinner - birthday dinner for Jenna! Salad, soup, mackerel, rice, and green tea at a Japanese restaurant; green tea

I felt really great today until the evening, when I got really hungry. We didn't eat until about 8:45 pm, so I was definitely ready for it! It was strange eating my biggest meal at night (and so late), but I'm glad I could find yummy options and had a great time with friends, which is all that matters. Turns out I really love grilled mackerel! I always recommend it as a fish that is high in omega-3s and relatively low in mercury and PCB's, but I've only had it as raw sushi and never as a cooked fillet. Yum!

Day 21 - August 29th (wooooooot!)

Workout #1 - Walk/run (knees feeling great!) - 1 hour

Breakfast - shake with protein/fiber powders, 1/2 peach, chia seeds, sunflower seed butter, almond milk, ice; iced tea

Workout #2 - Zumba, followed by some pool/sun time and hot tub

Lunch - YC's mixed vegetables, chicken, turkey, brown rice, chicken veggie soup, and sauce made with garlic, sesame oil, cooking wine, and ginger; pluot

Snack - brown rice cake with avocado

Massage - lymph drainage massage followed by an epsom salt bath

Dinner - shake with protein/fiber powders, chia seeds, spinach, frozen raspberries, almond butter, almond milk, ice

I MADE IT! I can't believe this is the last day! I'm so glad I did the Clean Program, and I know it has changed my health and eating habits forever. I'm feeling really great, and I am excited to learn what foods I can add back without allergies and what foods cause problems. It a difficult emotional roller coaster with big payoffs, and I am really glad I made it all the way through.